Pivoted trigger-guard for firearms



- Oct. 15, 1963 G. A. wlLsoN PIvoTED TRIGGER-GUARD FOR FIREARMS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July l. 1949 7 b bb wlw Oct' 15: l

G. A. WILSON PIVOTED TRIGGER-GUARD FOR FIREARMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July Il' 1949 dddw Patented @ein l5, i963 3,106,795 PIVOTED 'I'RIGGER-GUARD FR FIREARMS George A. Wilson, Hamden, Conn., assigner to The High Standard Manufacturing Corporation, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed .Iuly I, 1949, Ser. No. 102,473 12 Claims. (Cl. 42-69) The present invention relates in general to firearms and more especially to means for automatically varying the trigger-pull of a firearm.

It has been found that in cold climates or equivalent situations where aY shooter has one or more pairs of gloves on his hands, and in particular on the hand of his trigger finger, the bulkiness of his gloved trigger finger makes it imperative that the trigger-guard of his firearm be oversize, or so mounted that it may be swung out of the way, to give access to the trigger. Moreover, the gloved or padded trigger finger does not have the sensitivity of a bare finger and consequently shooters frequently pull-off the trigger unintentionally or before they have properly aimed the firearm.

An object of the present invention is to provide superior means for automatically varying the trigger-pull of a firearm.

A further object of the invention is to provide a firearm with a trigger-guard which may be moved out of the way when a shooter is using a gloved trigger finger and which, when so moved, will automatically vaiy the triggerpull.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a firearm with a pivoted trigger-guard which may be swung forwardly beneath the firearm-structure to give access to the trigger by a gloved finger and with means actuated by the trigger-guard in its forwardly-swung position t automatically increase the normal trigger-pull of the firearm thereby to compensate for the lack of sensitivity of the gloved trigger finger.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a firearm having a pivoted trigger-guard with superior latcht means for releasably securing the trigger-guard to the rearm-structure both in its normal trigger-guarding position and in its displaced position for providing access to the trigger by a gloved finger.

With the above and other objects in View, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art and which are not ciaimed in any separate application.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

FIG. 1 is a broken side elevation of a firearm embodying the pivoted trigger-Guard and trigger-pull varying means of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the firearm of FIG. 1 showing the trigger-guard in its lnormal position with respect to the trigger of the firearm;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the trigger-guard displaced laterally with respect to the trigger for unlatching the trigger-guard from the frame of the fiream;

FIG. 4 is a broken side elevation of the firearm similar to FIG. 1 but with the trigger-guard swung forwardly and latched to the forward end of the frame and the trigger-pull varying-means displaced by the trigger-guard to increase the trigger-pull;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation partly in section of the firearm of FIG. l showing details of the trigger-guard and the trigger-pull varying-means adapted to be actuated thereby, the trigger-pull varying-means being in its normal position;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation partly in section of the firearm similar to FIG. 5 but showing the trigger-pull varying means displaced by the forwardly-pivotedv trigger-guard for increasing the trigger-pull;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevation in section on line 77 of FIG. 5 showing details of the pivotal mountingmeans of the trigger-guard;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the pistol-grip of the firearm showing the lockingnotches for releasably securing the trigger-guard thereto;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective View of a portion of the frame of the firearm showing the locking-notches for releasably securing the trigger-guard in its forward position beneath the frame; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the trigger-guard of the pistol.

For the purpose of disclosing the invention, the latter is shown embodied in a hand gun, and in particular in an automatic pistol. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention may be-embodied in other types of firearms and that it is within the purview of the present invention to include all modifications of the structure shown herein within the scope of the appended caims.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, the firearm-structure embodies a frame 15 having an integral pistol-grip portion 16 and a forwardly-extending reach 17. A barrel 1S is fixedly secured on the top of the forwardly-projecting reach 17 of the frame. A breechblock I9 is slidably supported on the top of the frame for movement longitudinally relative to the barrel for automatically extracting and ejecting the case of a fired cartridge and for reloading the pistol. The underside of the frame immediately forwardly of the front edge 2i) of the pistol-grip 16 is concave as indicated at 21, and terminates at its forward end in the base-portion 22 of the forwardly-extending reach i7 of the frame, the base-portion 22 of the reach having an integral depending-lug 23, details of which are shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 and hereinafter described, for pivotally supporting the forward end of the trigger-guard 24s of the pistol.

The fire-control means of the pistol includes a trigger 25 pivotally mounted as at 26 in the frame l5 and connected at its upper end by a pivot-pin 27 to the forward end of a link-member 28. The rear end of the linkmember 28 is provided with a cocking-notch 29 and a Sear-actuating shoulder Sti, the latter being adapted during the automatic operation of the pistol to cooperatively engage a sear 31 which in turn is arranged to releasably hold the firing-means or hammer 32 of the pistol in cocked position. By pulling the trigger rearwardly, the link-member will be pulled forwardly thereby disengaging the sear from the cocked hammer for firing a cartridge in the chamber in the barrel.

Cooperatively associated with the fire-control means of the pistol and, in particular, with a forwardly-projecting protuberance 33 on .the upper end of the trigger substantially intermediate its pivot-pin 26 and the pivot-pin 27, is resilient-means for urging the trigger to pivot in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, thereby to hold the Sear-shoulder 3i) at the rear end of the link-member rearwardly of the Sear, the aforesaid resilient-means providing the resistance which characterizes the trigger-pull of the firearm. v

The resilient-means of this invention for effecting trigger-pull is adapted to provide not only a normal trigger-pull but also an increased trigger-pull, so as to compensate for the lack of sensitivity of a gloved trigger nger, and consequently is hereinafter referred to as a variable force-applying means. Referring especially to FIGS. 5 and 6, the variable force-applying means is indicated generally at 35 and comprises, in general, a pair aperture 36 and mounted therein substantially inter-V mediate its opposite ends. The inner or rear end of the primary trigger-spring is adapted to abut against an annular shoulder 4t) of a substantially-cylindrical plunger 41 slidably mounted in the rear end of the supporting aperture y36, the rear face 4Z of the plunger 4l being adapted to be held against the forwardly-projecting protuberance 33 of the trigger by the force of the primary trigger-spring acting against the annular shoulder 49 of the plunger. The forward end of the plunger 41 is characterized by a forwardly-projecting pilot 43 of reduced of the frame.

diameter which extends forwardly freely in the cort responding end of the primary trigger-spring.

The opposite or outer endV of the primary trigger-spring 39 is adapted to abut` against the rear face 44 of a springactuating plunger 45 which is slidably mounted inV the forward end of the supporting-aperture 436, the longitudinal sliding movement of the spring-actuating plunger 45 in the aperture 36 being limited by means of a limitpin `46 which extends transversely through the frame and` is engaged in a longitudinal clearance-recess 4-7 formedV in the periphery of the spring-actuating plunger 45. yThe force of the primary trigger-spring 39 acting against the rear face `4,4 ofthe spring-actuating plunger 45 resiliently holds the latter in its foremost position in the supportingaperture 36, the foremost position of the spring-actuating plunger 45 being determined by engagement of the rear shoulder 48 of the clearance-recessV with the aforesaid limit-pin 46. In its foremost position in the supportingaperture of the frame, the fonward rounded end `49 of the spring-actuating plunger projects beyond the front edge 37 of the reach of the frame, as indicated especially well in PIG. 5.

The second spring of the variable force-applying means 35 is adapted to supplement the force of the primary trigger-spring in the manner hereinafter described, and hence is referred to as a supplementary trigger-spring 50. Thelatter is formed of heavier Iwire than theV pri-- mary trigger-spring, so as to be appreciably stiffer thanl the latter, within which the supplementary trigger-spring is freely mounted, the over-all length of the supplementary trigger-spring 50 being less than the normal distance between the forward face y51 of the pilot 43 and the rear face 44 of the spring-actuating plunger 45, as a consequence of which the supplementary trigger-spring SQL does not normally supplement the force of the primary trigger-spring, which acts alone on the plunger 41 to effect a normal trigger-pull of the trigger.

It will be appreciated, however, that if the springactuating plunger 415 is moved rearwardly inthe supporting-aperture 36 ofthe frame, the primary trigger-spring will be compressed and the supplementary trigger-spring 50 will be moved bodily by the spring-actuating plunger y 45 into engagement with the pilot 43 of the plunger 41, and subsequently compressed between'they rear face 44 t of the spring-actuating plunger 45 and the forward face 51v of the pilot 43, as a consequence of which the force exerted on the plunger 4:1 by the primary trigger-spring and supplementary trigger-spring effects an increased trigger-pull. By iway of example, the normal force exerted by the primary trigger-spring 39 on the trigger to resist a rearward pull thereon, that is to say, the normal triggerpull may be of the order of 4 lbs., whereas, by displacing the spring-actuating plunger rearwardly in the manner hereinabove described, the combined forces of the compressed primary trigger-spring and the compressed supplementary trigger-spring may increase the triggerpull to appoximately l2 to l5 lbs.

As pointed out at the outset, the trigger-guard 24 is adapted to be movably mounted on the frame of the pistol so as to be movable away from the trigger, thereby to make the latter more readily accessible by a gloved trigger linger. A characteristic feature of the movable trigger-guard of this invention is that when the triggerguard is moved away from the trigger, the trigger-guard automatically energizes the variable force-applying means by engaging the forwardly-projecting rounded end 49 of the spring-actuating plunger 45 and displacing the latter rearwardly .in the supporting-aperture 36 of the frame thereby automatically increasing the trigger-pull in the manner hereinabove described.

Referring especially to FIGS. 5 and 7, the means for movably mounting the trigger-guard on the frame of the pistol comprises a pivot-pin 52 supported to slide freelyin a transverse aperture '53 formed in the depending-lug 23 The transverse aperture 53 is provided with a counterbore `5.4 at one end for accommodating the enlarged head 5-5 on the corresponding end of the pivot-pin 52;'Yand for providing an annular shoulder 56 at the base of the counterbore for engagement by the inner end of a compression-spring 57 which is mounted in the counterbore of the transverse aperture 53 and engages at its opposite or outer end with the enlarged head 55 of the pivot-pin. In accordance with this construction, the pivot-pin 52 is constantly urged to slide to the left (as seen in FIG. 7) in the transverse aperture 53 of the depending-lug 23 of the frame. 'The opposite end of the pivot-pin 52 lextends into a clearance-notch 58 provided in the right-hand face of the depending-lug 23 for accommodating a tongue `59` formed on theforward end of the trigger-guard 24. The tongue `59 is substantially rectangular in cross section, as vshown especially well in FIG. 7, and is provided with a transverse aperture 60 for accommodating the corresponding end of the pivot-pin 52, the latter being secured in the aperture 60 of the triggerguard tongue 59 by means of a fastening-pin 61 which extends through axially-aligned apertures of the tongue and Vpivot-pin. Normally, the force of the spring 57 acting on the head of the Ipivot-pin 52 to slide the latter to the left in the transverse aperture `53 of the dependinglug 23, serves to hold the innerface of the trigger-guard tongue '59 against the adjacent face of the clearance-notch 58 with the outer face of the trigger-guard tongue 59 substantially rHush with the corresponding outer face of the Vdepending-lug 23. f This position of the trigger-guard is hereinafter referred to as its normal lateral position with respect to the trigger. Y

Thus, `the construction of the trigger-guard mountingmeans permits the VItrigger-guard 24 to swing from its nor'malyclosed position with respect to the trigger, forwardly `and upwardly in a substantially-vertical plane, to a position beneath the reach 17 of lthe frame, as shown especially well in FIG. 4, the latter position of the triggerguard being hereinafter referred -to as its open position with respect to the, trigger. Moreover, by exerting force on the head 55 of the pivot-pin 52 to slide the latter longitudinally in the transverse aperture 53of the ldepending Vlug 23, the trigger-guard will` be displaced bodily substantially Ilaterally of thetrigger, fas shown in FIG.V 3 and indicated by broken lines in FIG. 7. y

A convenient means for exerting force on the head 55 of the pivot-pin so as to displace the trigger-guard bodily substantially laterally of the trigger, is -a cartridge, `and to this end, the head 55 of the pivot-pin is provided with a concave recessZ to accommodate the nose of the bullet of the cartridge, las illustrated in FIG. 3.

VConstructing the pivotal mounting-means of the Vtrigger-guard so as to permit bodily movement thereof substantially laterally of the trigger provides means for locking and unlocking the free end of the trigger-guard in either of its two positions with respect to the trigger, that is to say, in its normal closed position, as shown in FIG. l, and in its open position, as shown in FIG. 4.

To these ends, the free end of the trigger-guard is forked as shown especially Well in FIG. l0, so as to have two substantially spaced-parallel locking-lugs 63-63 projecting rearwardly therefrom in substantially the transverse plane of the trigger-guard. The forward edge of the pistol-grip at the point thereon which is substantially opposite the free end of the trigger-guard when the latter is in its normal closed position with respect thereto, is provided with a forwardly-projecting protuberance 64 having a longitudinal clearance-groove 65 erein substantially coincident with its longitudinal axis and intersecting the bottom edge of the protuberance, thereby to form two longitudinal ribs 66-66 substantially rectangular in cross section, as shown especially well in FIG. 8. A second groove substantially rectangular in cross section cuts transversely across each rib (aS-66 substantially intermediate their opposite ends to provide each rib with a trigger-guard locking-notch 67-57 respectively adapted to accommodate the corresponding locking-lugs 63-63 at the rear end of the trigger-guard so as to secure the latter in its normal closed position with respect to the trigger, the dimensions of the ltrigger-guard locking-lugs 63-3 corresponding substantially :to the dimensions of the locking-notches 6'7- 67 `of the pistol-grip, so as to engage snugly therein.

It will be clear from FIGS. 2 'and 3 that by displacing the trigger-guard bodily substantially laterally with respect to the trigger, the locking lugs 63--63 of the trigger-guard will be moved out of the locking-notches 67- 67 `of the ribs, the one locking-lug of the trigger-guard being disposed outside of its adjacent rib 66, and the other locking-lug being disposed between the two ribs 65-66, whereby the free end of the trigger-guard is unlocked from the frame of the pistol, and may be swung downwardly and forwardly to its open position with respect to the trigger, as shown in FIG. 4.

The trigger-guard is adapted to be locked in its open position by engaging its two locking-lugs `63-63 in two rearwardly-facing locking-notches 63-68 of a pair of transversely-spaced lugs 69-69 projecting downwardly from the underside of the reach 17 of the frame adjacent the forward end thereof, the locking-lugs 6? 63 of the trigger-guard being engaged in the respective notches 6%*63 `by permitting the trigger-guard to move back from its laterally-displaced position into its normal lateral position with respect to the trigger. For appearance sake, the bottom edge of the reach 17 of the frame may be curved to correspond to the curvature of the bottom edge of the trigger-guanti so that when the trigger-guard is swung forwardly into its open position with respect to the trigger, the trigger-guard will nest with the bottom edge of the reach of the frame.

The cooperation of the trigger-guard with the variable force-applying means of this invention for automatically varying the trigger-pull may lbe reviewed -brietly as follows: With the trigger-guard 24 in its normal closed position with respect to the trigger as shown in FIG. l, the primary trigger-spring of the variable force-applying irneans resists actuation of the trigger for releasing the tiring-means of the pistol with a force corresponding substantially to a normal trigger-pull for this class of pistols. However, when it is contemplated to use the pistol while wearing gloves, the trigger-guard 24 is adapted to be displace-d lateral-ly of the trigger by yengaging the nose of a bullet or equivalent tool with the head of the pivotpin of the trigger-guard and pushing the pivot-pin in the transverse 4aperture of the depending-lug 23` of the frame. The resulting bodily displacement la-terally of the triggerguard 24 disengages its locking-lugs S3-63l from the locking-notches 67-67 in the front edge of the pistolgrip thereby freeing the rear end of the trigger-guard.

The latter may then be swung forwardly to a position beneath the reach 17 :of the frame and locked in this position for engagement of its locking-lugs 63-63 with the locking-notches 68-68 of the lugs 69-69 on the underside of the reach 17. With the trigger-guard llocked in its open position with respect to the trigger, the latter is readily accessible for operation by a glove-d trigger iinger. Moreover, in swinging the trigger-guard from its closed position to its open position with respect to the trigger, the trigger-guard engages and displaces the springactuating pllunger 45 of the variable force-applying means 35 rearwardly in its supporting-aperture 36 of the frame thereby compressing the primary and supplementary trigger-springs. The combined forces of these two springs acting on the trigger to resist actuation thereof for releasing the tiring-means of the pistol substantially increase the triggerapull thereby automatically compensating for the less sensitive feel of a glorved trigger linger. To return the trigger-guard from its open position with respect .to the trigger to its closed position, the pivot-pin of the trigger-guard is again moved transversely to displace the trigger-guard bodily laterally with respect to the trigger thereby unlocking the locking-lugs 'd3- 63 of the trigger-guard from the locking-notches 68-68 of the frame to permit the trigger-guard to be swung downwardly and rearwardly to its normal position for re-engagement with the Ilocking-notches 67-67 of the pistol-grip. As the trigger-.guard swings from its open position to its closed position with respect to the trigger, the springactuating plunger 45 of the variable force-applying means 35 is released and projected forwardly to its normal foremost position in the supporting-aperture of the frame by the force of the compressed primary trigger-spring, the supplementary trigger-spring being simultaneously released so that its effect on the trigger-pull is nullied, as a consequence of which the trigger-pull is again normal for a pistol of this class.

The 1invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, Ito be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

l. In a re-arrn-structure having a frame, a barrel, and tire-control means including firing-means and a trigger for releasing said tiring-means, the combination including: a trigger-guard movably mounted on said irearnlstructure for move-ment to and from trigger-guarding position; and variable force-applying means carried by said rearm-structure constructed and arranged to continuously engage said fire-control means to exert a normal loaid thereon for resisting the release of said tiringmea-ns by said trigger when said trigger-guard is in its normal trigger-guarding position and to be energized by engagement of said trigger-guard therewith when the latter is moved out of its normal trigger-guarding position to exert an increased load on said lire-control means for increasing the Itrigger-pull necessary to elect normal structed and arranged to continuously engage said lire-V control means to exert a normal load thereon for resisting the release of said tiring-means by said trigger when said trigger-guard is in its normal trigger-guarding position and to be energized by engagement of said trigger-guard therewith when the latter is swung lforwardly from its normal trigger-guarding position to exert ran increased load on said fire-control means for increasing the triggerpull necessary to effect normal release of said firingmeans by said trigger.

3. In a firearm-structure having a frame, la barrel, and fire-control means including firing-means and a trigger for releasing said firing-means, the combination including: a trigger-guard; means arnanged to pivotally mount the forward end of said trigger-guard on said firearmstructure whereby said trigger-guard may be pivoted in and out of trigger-guarding position; variable forceapplying means carried by said firearm-structure constructed and arranged to continuously engage said frirecontrol means to exert a normal load thereon for resisting the release of said firing-means by said trigger vwhen said trigger-guard is in its normal trigger-guarding position and to be energized by engagement of said trigger-guard therewith when the latter is swung forwardly out of its normal trigger-guarding position to exert an increased load on said lire-control means for increasing the triggerpull necessary to eEect normal release of said tiringmeans by said trigger; and locking-means to releasably secure the rear end of said trigger-guard to said firearmstructure both when said trigger-guard is -in and out of its normal trigger-guarding position respectively.

4. In a firearm-structure having a frame, a barrel, and fire-control means including firing-means and a trigger for releasing said firing-means, the combination includ-l ing: a trigger-guard; pivotal-means arranged vto mount the forward end or said trigger-guard on said firearmstruoture whereby ysaid trigger-guard may be pivoted in,

and out of trigger-guarding position, said pivotal-means being arranged also to move substantially transversely in said firearm-structure for displacing said trigger-guard bodily substantially laterally to and -from its normal trigger-guarding position; and variable force-applying means carried by said rearm-structure constructed and arnanged to continuously engage said tire-control means to exert a normal load thereon for resisting the release of said firing-means by said trigger when said triggerguard is in its normal trigger-guarding position and to be energized by engagement of said ltrigger-guard therewith when the `latter is displaced laterally and swung forwardly of its normal trigger-guarding position to exert an increased load on said lire-control means for increasing the trigger-pull necessary to effect normal release of said firing-means by said trigger.

5. In a firearm-structure having a iframe, a barrel, and fire-control means including firing-means Iand a trigger ttor releasing said firing-means, the combination including: a trigger-guard; pivotal-means arranged to mount the forward end of said trigger-guard on said firearmstructure whereby said trigger-guard may be pivoted in Vand out of tnigger-guarding position, said pivotal-meansV being arranged lalso to move substantially transversely in lsaid hre-anni structure for ydisplacing said trigger-guard bodily substantially laterally to and from its normal trigger-guarding position; variable force-applying means carried by said firearm-structure constructed and arranged to continuously engage said fire-controlmeans to exert a normal load lthereon for resisting the release of said firing-means by said trigger when said trigger-guard is in its normal trigger-guarding position and to be energized Vby engagement of said trigger-guard therewith when the latter is displaced laterally Iand swung forwardly of its normal trigger-guarding position to exert an increased load on said fire-controlmeans for increasing the triggerpull necessary to effect normalV release of said firinglmeans by said trigger; locking-means on said firearmstructure rearwardly of said trigger arranged to securev the rear end of said trigger-guar-d .to said firearm-structure when said trigger-guard is in its normal trigger-guarding position and to release the rea-r end of said trigger-guard Y Sa when said trigger-guard is moved laterally of its normal trigger-guarding position; and a second locking means on said firearm-structure forwardly of said trigger, said second locking-means being arranged to secure the rear end of said trigger-guard to said firearm-structure when said trigger-guard has been swung forwardly of its normal trigger-guarding position.

6. In a firearm-structure having a frame, a barrel, and fire-control means including firing-means and a trigger for releasing said firing-means, the combination including: a trigger-guard movably mounted on said firearm-structure `for movement in and out of trigger-guarding position; and variable force-applying means carried by said firearm-structure, said variable force-applying means comprising a resilient-member and a supplementary resilient-element movable relative thereto, said resilientmember being arranged to continuously engage said re'- control means to exert a normal load thereon for resisting the release of said ring-means by said trigger when said trigger-guard is in its normal trigger-guarding position, said supplementary resilient-element being arranged to be moved by said trigger-guard into engagement with said resilient-member when said trigger-guard is moved out of its normal trigger-guarding position to increase the load on said fire-control means for increasing the trigger-pull necessary to effect normal release of said firing-means by said trigger.

7. In a firearm-structure having a frame, a barrel, and tire-control means including firing-means and a trigger for releasing said firing-means, the combination including: atrigger-guard movably mounted on said lirearm-structure for movement in and out of trigger-guard- `ing position; and variable force-applying means carried by said firearm-structure, said variable force-applying means comprising a primary spring, a primary spring.

plunger and a supplementary spring, said supplementary spring being mounted in said primary spring and movable to and from engagement with said primary springplunger, said primary spring-plunger being constructed and arranged to continuously engage said trigger to exert a normal load thereon for resisting the release of said firing-means by said trigger when said trigger-guard is in its normal trigger-guarding position, said supplementary spring being arranged to be moved by said trigger-guard into engagement with said primary springplunger when said trigger guard is moved out of its normal trigger-guarding position to increase the load exerted on said trigger by said primary spring-plunger for increasing thetrigger-pull necessary to effect normal release of said firing-means by said trigger.

8. :In a firearm-structure having a frame, a barrel, and fire-control means including firing-means and a trigger for releasing said firing-means, the combination including: a trigger-guard movably mounted on said firearmstructure for movement in and out of trigger-guarding position; variable force-applying means carried by said firearm-structure, said variable force-applying means comprising a primary spring, a primary spring-plunger in engagement with the rear end of said primary spring, a displaceable actuating-plunger in engagement with the front end of said primaryrspring and a supplementary spring mounted within said primary spring between said primary spring-plunger and said actuating-plunger, said primary spring being arranged to urge said primary spring-plunger into continuous engagement with said trigger to exert a normal load thereon for resisting the release of said firing-means by said trigger when said trigger-guard is in lits normal trigger-guarding position, said displaceable actuating-plunger being arranged to be engaged andractuated by said trigger-guard when the latter is moved out of its normal trigger-guarding position to move said supplementary spring into engagement with ysaid primary spring-plunger thereby'to increase the load exerted by said primary spring-plunger on said trigger for'increasing the trigger-pull necessary to effect normal release of said tiring-means by said trigger; and lockingmeans on said iirearm structure to releasably secure the rear end of said trigger-guard to said firearm-structure when said trigger-guard is in and out of its normal triggerguarding position respectively.

9. In a rearm-structure having a frame, a barrel, and lire-control means including lring-me-ans and a trigger for releasing said tiring-means, the combination including: =a trigger-guard; pivotal-means arranged to mount the forward end of said trigger-guard on said rearm-structure whereby said trigger-guard may be pivoted in and out of trigger-guarding position, said pivotal-means being arranged lalso to move substantially transversely in said firearm-structure for `displacing said trigger-guard bodily substantially laterally to and from its normal triggerguarding position; variable force-applying means carried by said firearm-structure, said variable force-applying means comprising `a primary spring, a primary springplunger in engagement with the rear end of said primary spring, a displaceable `actuating-plunger in engagement with the front end of said primary spring and la supplementary spring mounted within said primary spring between said primary spring-plunger and said actuatingplunger, said spring being 'arranged to urge said primary 4spring-plunger into continuous engagement with said lirecontrol means to exert `a normal load on said trigger for resisting the release of said firing-means by said trigger when said trigger-guard is in its normal triggersguarding position, said displaceable 'actuating-plunger being arranged to be engaged and actuated by said trigger-guard when lthe latter is moved ont yof its normal `trigger-guarding position to move said supplementary spring into engagement with said primary spring-plunger thereby to increase the load exerted by said primary spring-plunger on said trigger for increasing the trigger-pull necessary to eiect normal release of said tiring-means thereof by said trigger; locking-means on said iireaim-structure rearwardly of said trigger to -secure the rear end of said trigger-.guard to said rearm-structure when said trigger-guard is in its normal trigger-guarding position yand to release the rear end `of said trigger-guard when said trigger-guard is moved laterally of its normal trigger-guarding position; [and a second locking-means -on said firearm-structure forwardly of said trigger, said second locking-means being arranged -to secure the rear end of said trigger-guard to said rearm-structure when said trigger-guard has been swung forwardly of its normal trigger-guarding Iposition.

110. In -a pistol having a frame, a barrel, and hre-'control means including tiring-means, a sear for releasably holdmg said iiring-means in cocked position, and `a trigger for actuating said sear to release said cocked firing-means, the combination including: `a trigger-guard mowably mounted on :said frame lfor movement in and out of trigger-guarding position; and Variable force-applying means carried by said frame constructed and arranged to continuously engage said fire-control means to exert a normal load thereon for resisting the actuation of said sear by said trigger when said trigger-guard is in its normal trigger-guarding position and to be energized by engagement of said triggergufard therewith -when the latter is moved out of its normal trigger-guarding position to exert an increased load on said nre-control means for increasing the trigger-pull necessary to eect normal actuation Vof said sear by said trigger.

11. In a pistol having a trame, a t iarrel, and lire-control means including tiring-means, a sear for releasably holding said tiring-means in firing position, and Ia trigger for actuating said sear to release said tiring-means, the combination including: la trigger-guard; means arranged to pivotally mount the forward end of said trigger-guard on said frame whereby said trigger-guard may be pivoted in and out of trigger-guarding position; and variable forceapplying means carried -by said frame constructed and arranged to continuously engage said lire-control means to exert a normal load thereon for resisting the actuation of said sear by said trigger `when said trigger-guard is in its normal .trigger-guarding position and to be energized by engagement of said trigger-guard therewith when the latter is swung `forwardly from its normal trigger-guarding position to exert an increased load on said lire-control means for increasing the trigger-pull necessary to effect normal actuation of said sear `by said trigger.

12. In .a pistol having la frame, fa barrel, and lire-control means including ring-means, la sear for releasably holding said `tiring-means in firing position, and a trigger for actuating said se-ar to release said firing-means, the combination including: a trigger-guard; means arranged to mount the forward Iend of said trigger-guard in said frame whereby said trigger-guard may be pivoted in and out -of trigger-guarding position `and moved l-aterally with respect thereto; variable forceapplying means carried by said rearm-structure constructed and arranged to cont-inuously engage said trigger to exert `a normal load thereon for resisting the actuation of said Sear by said trigger when said triggeraguard is .in its normal trigger-guarding position and to beenergized by engagement of said triggerguard therewith when the latter is swung forwardly from its normal trigger-guarding position to exert an increased load on said trigger for increasing the trigger-pull necessary to eifect normal actuation of said sear by said trigger; Iand locking-means to secure the rear end of said triggerguard to said frame when said trigger-guard is in normal trigger-guarding position yand to release said trigger-guard from said frame when said trigger-guard is Imoved laterally of its normal trigger-guarding position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 290,740 Brown Dec. 25, 1883 303,827 IEhbets Aug. 19, 1884 936,967 Whiting Oct. `12, 1909' y978,415 Wesson Dec. 13, 1910 2,046,996 Berdon July 7, 1936 2,461,574 Skinner et al. Feb. 15, 1949 

1. IN A FIREARM-STRUCTURE HAVING A FRAME, A BARREL, AND FIRE-CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING FIRING-MEANS AND A TRIGGER FOR RELEASING SAID FIRING-MEANS, THE COMBINATION INCLUDING: A TRIGGER-GUARD MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FIREARMSTRUCTURE FOR MOVEMENT TO AND FROM TRIGGER-GUARDING POSITION; AND VARIABLE FORCE-APPLYING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FIREARM-STRUCTURE CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO CONTINUOUSLY ENGAGE SAID FIRE-CONTROL MEANS TO EXERT A NORMAL LOAD THEREON FOR RESISTING THE RELEASE OF SAID FIRINGMEANS BY SAID TRIGGER WHEN SAID TRIGGER-GUARD IS IN ITS NORMAL TRIGGER-GUARDING POSITION AND TO BE ENERGIZED BY ENGAGEMENT OF SAID TRIGGER-GUARD THEREWITH WHEN THE LATTER IS MOVED OUT OF ITS NORMAL TRIGGER-GUARDING POSITION TO EXERT AN INCREASED LOAD ON SAID FIRE-CONTROL MEANS FOR INCREASING THE TRIGGER-PULL NECESSARY TO EFFECT NORMAL RELEASE OF SAID FIRING-MEANS BY SAID TIGGER. 